A fortnight so far
Current mood: 
In a glittering bay studded with thousands of monolithic, limestone islands, each island sweatered in the greenest green, we stop to go kayaking and find a little cave as the sun begins to set, all streamers of pink and steel and muddy blue unfurling over the sea. So many varieties of green here you can't think of enough adjectives. The bay has fishing villages in it. People who live on the water on little makeshift isles made of bamboo and buoys. They have to go around in canoes and sell Oreos to people to supplement their fishing.
Slept on a boat. Haven't ever really done that. Awoke at sea to a meal of dragonfruit. In the night, as the moon rose over a giant rock, we drank Tiger beers with the Vietnamese deck hands, ate fried squid and sang karaoke. Squid is ubiquitous here in the north and as often delicious. Sitting on the top deck, moonlight casting a sheen on the now black rock walls of the many, many-sized islands and rocks.
At some point, we went to a jungle island, traipsed through mud in the stinking humidity to some blinding green summit that was crowned with a rusty watchtower that you ascended by way of an evern rustier staircase. Fear of heights damned to hell, I dizzyingly rose to the top which was a tin roofed little hut, with broken boards for a floor. Later at dusk I jumped off the edge of the 25 foot tall boat into the water. I feel like these are all new sensations that are really old ones coming back for just a little while.
After karaoke, after everyone went to bed, Tim and I violated a rather arbitrary prohibition and indulged in a little midnight swimming in the ocean. Couldn't tell how deep it was but there was a strong night current. Needless to say it felt pretty amazing.
5 people can fit on a scooter in Vietnam. That's an entire family. In the U.S. that same family would buy a fucking minivan.
I am having an excellent time. But it is still hot. :)
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